Something old, found something new!

 It's been a while since I updated my blog, but then as we know...time....

 FLIES!

So, just a few of the many flies I have seen around lately. There are a couple of Dagger flies (Empididae) and a Bluebottle, but not sure what species that spotted one I spotted is. Probably Anthomyia species?

I've seen quite a number of these tiny froghoppers now; the ones that make the 'Cuckoo-spit' froth. But I have never until now seen one inside just one large bubble!

I was only speaking to somebody the other day about how, after so many years bug-hunting, it becomes trickier to find something new to you. Especially if like me, you are confined to the same area for most of the time. But that's exactly what I did recently when I came across this next bug. 

What made it even more pleasing in a way, was that for all my searching of the fields, woods and orchards I do locally, this was found on the doorframe of my house! 

Oh yes...what is it? Well, it's a Bordered Shieldbug (Legnotus limbosus). Only around 4.5mm and associated with bedstraw (Galium), widespread in Southern Britain apparently, but unobtrusive, as it burrows into the loose soil at the base of plants.

Legnotus limbosus

Here's another thing you don't see everyday of the week!

 Oh yes...I forgot the obligatory warning:

Now when I first saw this with the naked eye, I couldn't actually decipher exactly what was happening. Be honest JJ...you couldn't even tell if it was one or two spiders!

Anyway, I knew that spiders exhibit strange ways of mating and so a little research proved that this is what is taking place. These are two Pardosa (Wolf spiders) caught 'In flagrante delicto'. Although I am sure there was no wrong doing involved: at least I would like to think not. Another first for me.

More spiders now! Why? Well because I rarely get to see and photograph the male of the species: this particular species anyhow. This is a male Zebra Jumping Spider.

Just look at the chelicerae on this bad boy! 

(The chelicerae are a spider's jaws.  They are located on the very front of a spider.  Every spider has a pair of chelicerae, and they are tipped with fangs.  Chelicerae are filled with muscles, and are used to hold prey while the spider injects venom.)

Those are the black 'stalks' between the front legs that you can see. They are so large in this species that the pedipalps have had to be elongated.

(Like the chelicerae, a spider's pedipalps are part of its mouth, and are located just between the chelicerae and first pair of legs. Pedipalps are jointed, and look somewhat like small legs. They are not used like legs, though.  Instead, they are more like antennae: pedipalps help the spider sense objects that it encounters.  Some spiders also use their pedipalps to shape their webs and to aid in prey capture and feeding.

Pedipalps are used by male spiders to transfer sperm to female spiders.  In fact, you can usually distinguish a male spider from a female because of the male's enlarged pedipalps).

1. 

How many spiders? Ah but, I wanted to include this one for three reasons. Firstly, the magnificent camouflage abilities of this Crab sider (Or flower spider as it sometimes gets called). Secondly, just look at the size of its prey: that bee is quite a meal for it. And lastly, erm, what was the last reason? Oh yes! This is the species that can change colour to match the background.

So what is the reason for yet another spider collage then JJ? 

Well how about, its my blog so I can do what the hell I like?

However, I do think I am savvy enough to realise that without you dear reader, I would be wasting my time writing these updates, and so with that in mind, this will be the last of the arachnids....for now. 

I think this may be a Sac spider? But I am not the world's expert on these creatures: until I became an adult (oh yes I am), I was frightened of them myself. My mother, God bless her instilled that in me.

Will a cute weevil make amends? Shame, because here is one...

During a whistle-stop visit to Norfolk recently, I got a chance to spend a little time at RSPB Strumpshaw Fen. Unfortunately, I was too early for the meadow area to be open, and also for the fabulous Swallowtail butterflies. I still managed a few bug photos though...

I'd love to get back there sometime for a more detailed, elongated visit, but I don't think it will be this year. 

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Do I have anything further to add to this blog update? You bet your sweet bippy I do: you might remember this (link) post from Jan 6th of this year? It concerned caterpillars I had found in my garden. I was pretty confident after some research they were of the Buff-ermine moth. Well, I can now confirm that as being correct, because they have begun to emerge...

Beautiful little moths aren't they.

Meanwhile, still in my little garden...

The Speckled bush crickets are starting to appear.

And this has to be the biggest Hoverfly larva I have ever seen: certainly, the longest...

That aphid needs to be careful too, because the larva will feed on them, in fact, they love to!

A couple of tiny hoppers I found on willow. I think I may have seen this species before, but unsure as these are the smallest I have ever photographed. Maybe first instars.

Happy Flying Ant Day...

I have an unanswered question that needs to be addressed. Perhaps you can help: 

If you try to fail and succeed, which have you done?

 I would like you to think about July 12 2020

Why that particular date JJ? Because, it's pertinent: which is much better than being impertinent don't you think? I used to get called impertinent at school if I ever dared to challenge anything the teacher said..."Don't be impertinent boy!"

Anyhow, that's by the by (if you don't know the etymology of that phrase, where have you been since the 1600s?), July 12 was the day we celebrated 'National Simplicity Day'. What do you mean, you didn't! It was easy enough surely? Here's the info:

On the 12th July 2020, we acknowledge National Simplicity Day - the annual campaign that asks us all to take a step back from our hectic lives and live in the moment.

You were most likely fixated on the other event that happened on July 12 right?

Yes, this was the day in the UK that saw thousands of flying ants emerge. Here's a photo curtousy of the Daily Mirror...

Not for this boy though: it was not until July 30 that the garden became overrun with them. 

Flying ant photographed in my garden July 30

Actually, although there is a so called 'Flying Ant Day' there is no one particular day that the ants emerge, but it is usually late July/early August. There is nothing peculiar about these ants really. They are just a common black ant (Lasius niger).

This from the Natural History Museum: 

 Why do ants fly?

An ant colony can only expand so much. At some point a new queen will need to strike out on her own to begin a new colony. She needs to meet and mate with a male from a different colony and find a new area in which to start building her nest. Growing wings and flying enables her to do this.

So each year, alates emerge from nests and take flight. They aren't interested in people or picnics - they are just looking for a mate.

Here is the amazing thing for me: after mating the males lives are over; they will die within a couple of days. The queens however will go on to quickly chew off their own wings and begin looking for a suitable site in which to nest and set up a new colony. Females can then live for many years; perhaps up to 12.

In fact, right now...

I was so pleased to see that the Hairy shieldbugs had survived in the garden and were doing well. I think this one pictured above is probably a mid-instar.

I also found one nice fresh adult...

This is...

Lasiocampa quercus - An Oak Eggar moth

I got sent this photo of a beautiful big moth to ID recently. It turned out to be a male Oak Eggar. The Oak Eggar, despite its name, does not feed on Oak, but is so-called because the shape of its cocoon is acorn-like. 

I had a morning clearing up in the garden recently, and when I was working on the woundwort plants, I had this leaf in my hand ready to throw out when I spotted something attached. I know it looks quite large in this photo, but it was actually only about 6-8mm and I almost dismissed it as vegetation debris.

Experience has taught me to take a second look though, and when I got the macro lens on it I could see it was what looked like a pupa of some kind.

Thinking about it, I realised that I had seen something similar before, and that turned out to be a Plume moth pupa. Only thing to do then was to keep it and see what emerged.

Here's the face-on view...

I'll come back to this in a moment; next I would like to share a photo of just some of the many butterfly eggs on the nasturtium plants in the garden...

The next batch look ready to pop!

And a batch of recently emerged Large-white butterfly caterpillars...

There are some final instar woundwort shiledbugs in the garden now too...

I think this one got photo-bombed by another tiny bug.

This amused me: it's from an Entomology group I belong to...

'Shall we return to the pupa story now JJ?' Erm...I think we probably should, before we forget!

The photos of the pupa (above) were taken on August 3rd and I didn't have to wait too long for things to change, because the very next day it began to darken: strangely, head first it seemed...

Finally the whole thing darkened...

Here comes the anti climax then. Last thing on the night of the 4th I was certain it would emerge but nothing happened. First thing the next morning I checked on the pupa, gingerly opening the container it was in, only to watch it fly off, never to be seen again!

However, you might be pleased to know that I did get a brief look at it as it departed and it definitely was a Plume moth; one of the brownish ones. Possibly Amblyptilia acanthadactyla (Beautiful Plume) as the glimpse I got of the markings looked good and the larvae of this species will feed on woundwort.

On one particular day, that day being yesterday! I had two species of cricket indoors; well one in the house, and one in my work studio. This male Speckled-bush Cricket appeared on the living room ceiling...

I placed it outside for a more natural looking shot...

Apologies by the way if it looks as if I have been over zealous cropping these photos: it's actually minimum magnification on the MP-E lens and so this is as much as I could fit in.

Next is the larger Dark-bush Cricket that actually dropped onto me whilst I was working in my studio...

I bet you didn't expect this next item!

The  title for world's biggest testicles (relative to body weight) goes to the tuberous bushcricket, a type of katydid, according to a study.

"I was amazed by the size of the testes—they seemed to take up the entire abdomen," said study leader Karim Vahed, a behavioral ecologist at the University of Derby in the U.K

 The hard, penis-like part of male bushcricket genitalia that's inserted into the female is called a....
"titillator"

I feel I should perhaps leave you to cogitate over those facts, and so will take my leave with this photograph of a female Speckled-bush Cricket...